


Year Sixteen (Aurek)

by DarthAstris



Series: Heirs To The Empire (Aurek) [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Bullying, Child Abuse, Dark Side Leia AU, F/F, F/M, Gen, Graphic Violence, M/M, Multi, Past Child Abuse, Sexual Content, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-24 01:49:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7488615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthAstris/pseuds/DarthAstris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in an Infinities AU where Leia Organa turned to the Dark Side during ANH, killed Vader, became the Emperor's apprentice, and now rules the Empire in his stead while he studies the nature of the Force on the planet Byss. Instead of marrying Han Solo, she married Imperial TIE pilot Turr Phennir and, a year later, gave birth to twin sons, Anakin and Ben. (Longer timeline of events listed in the notes below.)<br/><br/>This series is based on a tabletop RPG I'm currently playing with my friends.  Updates will follow as the game progresses! (Usually once a week, at least.)  The titles containing "Aurek" follow the plot of the game more closely; titles with "Besh" are what-ifs that spiraled out from the game.</p><p>(If you're just here for the fap, it's Chapter 7. ~_^ Feel free to stick around for the rest, though.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't want to info dump in the story itself, so here is the exact timeline that we were given, as players in the game. These are the events leading up to Year Sixteen:
> 
>  **IC (Imperial Calendar) 0**  
>  End of the Clone Wars, birth of the Empire
> 
>  **IC 18** (During the events of ANH)  
>  Leia Organa is captured by Darth Vader and identified as strong in the Force.  
> Vader takes Leia to the Inquisitorious Citadel on Vjun.  
> Meanwhile, Tarkin has no reason to destroy Alderaan.  
> Tarkin orders Death Star to proceed with Palpatine’s ‘Hit-List’ of planets.  
> Death Star destroys Mon Calamari home world of Dac.  
> Luke Skywalker and Obi-wan reach Alderaan without incident.  
> Bail Organa brings the duo to the Rebel Alliance.  
> Tarkin continues with the Hit List and heads to Bothan homeworld, Bothawui.  
> The Rebel Alliance destroy the Death Star at the Battle of Bothawui.  
> Leia Organa embraces the dark side and becomes an Inquisitor.  
> Leia’s first act is to arrest her adopted father, Bail Organa, as a Rebel.  
> Rebel Alliance on Alderaan rounded up and purged. Bail Organa executed.
> 
>  **IC 19** (Around the time of ESB)  
>  Obi-wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker help re-establish the Jedi.  
> The Imperial Inquisition grows.  
> Leia Organa begins a relationship with Imperial pilot Turr Phennir.  
> Rebel Alliance, without Mon Calamari Cruisers, struggles with Imperial Navy.
> 
>  **IC 21** (During the events of ROTJ and after)  
>  The Empire defeats the Rebel Alliance at the Battle of Hoth.  
> Princess Leia marries Turr Phennir.  
> Princess Leia gives birth to twin boys, Anakin and Ben.
> 
>  **IC 22**  
>  The Rebellion is crushed at the Battle of Endor.  
> Several Jedi rumoured to survive the fiasco.  
> Vader challenges Palpatine, but Leia interferes.  
> Leia kills Vader and becomes the Emperor’s new Sith Apprentice.
> 
>  **IC 25**  
>  Rebel Alliance barely active. Empire has practically won.
> 
>  **IC 28**  
>  The Emperor loses himself in his Force studies on Byss.  
> Leia Organa-Phennir fills the Emperor’s void at court on Coruscant.  
> The Imperial Ruling Council begin to resent Leia’s presence.
> 
>  **IC 32**  
>  Imperial media begin to call Princess Leia the heir of the Empire, not just Alderaan.
> 
>  **IC 33**  
>  Young and ambitious Imperials, both military and political, gather around Leia.  
> The old guard of Palpatine’s era grow ever more hostile to Leia’s faction.
> 
>  **IC 37**  
>  Anakin and Ben are now 16, on the verge of adulthood.  
> Heirs to their mother and Imperial royalty, the twins are rich and famous.  
> Leia is about to make her play for the Imperial Throne.  
> Even if she beats Palpatine, many Imperials will reject her claim to rule.  
> A devastating Imperial Civil War is about to begin.  
> And the twins are going to be right in the middle of it!  
>   
>   
>   
>   
>   
> Further notes on tagging: If anything squicks you that I haven't tagged, please feel free to tell me. As far as the "underage" tag goes, I'm just playing it safe there. Technically speaking, in-universe, humans are considered adults at 16.  
>   
>   
>   
>   
> 

“Morning, Scruffy.”

“Morning, Stuffy.”

Anakin was already in uniform and seated at the breakfast table, sipping his tea and thumbing through the HoloNews when Ben entered the room, fresh from his morning training session.  He barely looked up from his datapad, but wrinkled his nose as Ben passed by and flopped down to sit across the table from him. 

“Honestly, Brother, have you never heard of a shower? Or a comb?”

Ben sneered in mock annoyance, finished toweling the sweat from his dripping, wavy locks, and tossed the towel into Anakin’s face.  Anakin barely had time to knock it away with the Force before it hit him.  He gave Ben a withering look.

“You’re just jealous that I look good without all the primping.”

Anakin snorted. “As if.”

“Now, boys,” their father chided, “Can we at least get through breakfast before you start trying to kill each other? We have a lot to do today.”

Turr Phennir, TIE pilot extraordinaire, now moff of Coruscant, sat down at the head of the table and tucked his napkin into the collar of his uniform.  He rubbed his palms together, smiled approvingly at the feast laid out on the table, and turned to the Twi’lek serving maid as she poured his caf.  “Thank you, dear, this all looks lovely.”  He winked up at her.  She bowed and scurried over to fill Ben’s cup.

“Is Hux not joining us today?”  Anakin asked.

“Thanks,” Ben said to the maid, then to the table, “He ran off after training.  Said he had some big project he hoped to finish this weekend.”

“Huh,” Anakin said.  “He’s been working on something for the last few months.  No one sees him except in class.  He doesn’t even show up to the dorm for curfew.”

Ben frowned.  Hux hadn’t been spending nights with him, if that’s what Anakin was not-so-subtly hinting at.  And he _never_ broke the rules.  “Where is he sleeping? Or is he?”

“Oh, he sneaks back in at some point.  I’ve seen a lump in his bed when I get up at night.”

“That boy needs to relax, and eat something,” Turr said around a mouthful of Rodian mayonnaise sandwich.  “I’ve seen his like at the Academy before.  He’s gonna burn himself out.  That would be a damned shame for a boy with his talents.”

Ben shrugged.  “Tell that to his dad.  And to Ani -- he’s been busting his ass trying to beat Hux’s records.”

Anakin rolled his eyes.  “All in the spirit of competition, Brother.  Only the fit survive.”

“Speaking of which,” their father announced, setting his HoloNews feed down and commanding their attention before they started arguing again, “You two have a lot on your plate for the day.  First, your mother expects you to meet with Grand Inquisitor Durron, to prove that your training has been sufficient in his absence, then you’re both off to observe the IRC meeting this afternoon.” He paused for Ben to finish groaning.  “And then," he smiled, leaning closer, “if there’s some time left over before the _Executor_ pulls in for orbital maneuvers, I’ve arranged for you both to have some time flying a practice run with Alpha Squadron.”

“Seriously?” Ben lit up and it was Anakin’s turn to sigh, though he complained with far less impudence than his brother.

“Yes, so long as it pleases your mother that you’ve fulfilled your duties for the day.”  Their father grinned.  Naturally, it was his desire that his boys grow up to be excellent pilots and follow in his footsteps. 

Ben jumped up from the table, catching his napkin with the Force before it fell to the ground, and hurried back to the gym.  As he passed Anakin, he quipped, “I guess someone’s going to be late, unless you’re planning to train in that.”

Anakin glared at him.  He _hated_ being late for anything.  Nevertheless, he excused himself from the table properly before going back to his room to change.

In the Grand Inquisitor’s absence, the two of them had been training together -- sometimes with their mother, other Inquisitors, or just by themselves.  Ben was eager to show off what he had learned, and how well they had developed their innate connection as twins to play off each other’s movements, strengths, and weaknesses to create a seamless whirlwind of destruction through the Force. 

Ben arrived first at the gym, just in time to watch the end of a sparring session between Inquisitor Djo and Grand Inquisitor Durron.  He bowed and entered, respectfully kneeling at the edge of the mat to observe.  Djo moved like a tornado through Durron's advances, spinning and twirling her double-saber in a dazzling display of dexterity.  Ben had considered dual-wielding for a time, simply because he admired her movements so.  She had a gift for telekinesis, and she used it now, levitating mid-jump to throw off the Grand Inquisitor's timing.  As if descending in slow motion she held her saber aloft and waited to drop until Durron had passed the balance point of his lunge. 

It was an excellent tactic, and on anyone else it would have worked brilliantly, but Durron wasn't Grand Inquisitor for nothing.  Anticipating her attack, he allowed himself to flow through his overstep, dipping his shoulder into a roll that took him out of harm's way and behind Djo as she landed.  Before her feet had touched the ground, he unleashed a Force strike powerful enough to send her careening toward the far wall.  If she hadn't cushioned her fall with her own Force push, she might have been seriously injured. Durron initiated his own leap, and by the time she had recovered, he stood with his lightsaber mere centimeters from her neck.

She clicked off her saber and the twin blades disappeared with a hiss.  Durron did the same. Turning to face him, she bowed and thanked him for the practice, casting a sidelong glance at Ben. He bowed and handed her a towel and water bottle as she passed.  "That was amazing," he said with utmost sincerity.  Sparring with real lightsabers was Master Durron's preference, but seeing two masters in action, going full-tilt and yet with complete control, was awe inspiring.

She nodded in thanks and scrubbed at her face with the towel. "It wasn't enough."

"It's more than I could do."

Djo laughed, "You'll get there some day."

Anakin arrived just then, bowing at the entrance.

"What did I miss?"

"The fight of the year."

She laughed again, taking a sip of water. "Hardly. Mind if I watch your session?"

"If it's alright with Master Durron," Ben said, glancing to his master for approval.

Durron nodded and turned to face the two brothers.  "It seems you two grow every time I see you." He paused a moment, sensing something about them. "And not just in stature."

"We've been practicing hard, Master."

"Let's see it then." He reignited his blood-red blade. "Begin!"

Anakin and Ben's sabers flashed to life and they exchanged the briefest of glances before rushing in headlong.  Ben went in high with an overhead, two-handed swing while Anakin took the low route, readying his backhanded saber for a devastating sweep.  Durron prepared his defense, but was caught completely off-guard by their sudden and unrehearsed change in tactics.  As if one mind guided two bodies, Ben reached out with the Force to freeze the Grand Inquisitor in a choke-hold while Anakin re-clipped his lightsaber behind his back and unleashed a crackling blast of purple lightning from his fingertips.

Durron collapsed to his knees and held up a hand in surrender, as Ben followed through with what would have been a killing blow had he not stopped his blade above the Grand Inquisitor's head.  He released his Force grip immediately, and Anakin stood down as well.

"Most impressive!" Durron grinned, rubbing at his neck. "Not at all what I expected, and perfectly executed. I see your mother has been teaching you well in my absence."

Ben and Anakin both nodded, exhilarated by their success and the enthusiastic applause of Inquisitor Djo.  “Thank you, Master.”

"Again."

"Yes, Master," they bowed and said in unison.

The rest of their two-hour session was relentless and exhausting, with far more conventional swordplay since they had expended most of their energy on that first attack.  Durron was not so inclined to go easy on them after his initial defeat, but they learned much by being pushed to their limits and were grateful for the chance.  They were bruised and sore, but in a pleasant way that indicated growing strength.

On the way out, Ben challenged his brother to a race back home, which he won since Anakin failed to give chase or care. He set one foot forward as though he would start running, and when Ben took off down the hall he just shook his head and followed at a leisurely pace.

Ben got back to their apartments just as his father's two Twi'lek "masseurs" were leaving.  Turr grinned and held the door open for his son, leaning out to look around for the other.  "Where's Ani?"

"He lost the race."

"Ah," he said, noticing his son's attention following the shapely, scantily clad aliens as they departed. "You know, Son, you're old enough now... You should give them a call sometime.  They're very good at... their jobs."

"Umm, I'll keep that in mind," Ben blushed. "Thanks."

"Now hurry along, you don't want to keep your mother waiting."

It was his turn to grin, "I won't keep Alpha Squadron waiting, that's for sure!"  Ben dashed up the stairs to get ready, never so excited to attend a political meeting in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

The two brothers met their mother at the door of one of the smaller meeting rooms that had once served the Galactic Senate.  Leia was wearing a simple gown of Alderaanian design, though her hair was done up in a style befitting a queen of Naboo.  Her lightsaber glittered at her side: an elegant piece of solid chrome, swept up in lines evoking the Cloudshape Falls and mountains of Alderaan.  She smiled as they approached, “You two look very handsome this morning.  Ben, I’m glad you decided to take this seriously.”

Anakin, who had changed back into his cadet’s uniform, bowed formally.  Ben followed suit, though he had difficulty guessing whether or not she was being sarcastic.  He had put on a tunic of his own design and making -- one that had turned quite a few heads at the Fete Week Ball just a few months ago -- but she had never stated her true feelings, one way or another, on the Vader-inspired helmet and mask he usually wore when he wanted to be mysterious and intimidating (or just sleep through boring _kark_ like political meetings).

“Of course, Mother,” he said, pulling out his datapad as though he intended to take notes, and not at all because he was going to annoy Hux with inappropriate messages all morning.

"How was your session with the Grand Inquisitor?"

"Excellent!" Ben said.

"Well, he certainly didn't go easy on us," Anakin grumbled, massaging his neck.

"Good to hear.  I'd execute him myself if I heard otherwise," Leia said, matter-of-factly.

“What is the issue at hand today?” Anakin asked, not at all taken aback by his mother's comment. He was genuinely interested in how the meeting would progress, and what techniques Leia would use to get what she wanted.

She answered, and Ben was already tuning it out, mentally composing his first note and imagining Hux’s reaction.  It would be particularly delightful if there were others around when he read it.  He heard the intonation of a question directed his way and had a moment of panic before he saw Anakin nodding and heading into the room.  He nodded, too, and went in to take a seat at the back of the chamber. 

The room was dominated by a large, elliptical table with a metallic sheen.  Already it smelled like doddering old men and too much cologne, and only half of the IRC were even present.  Mara Jade, head of the ISB and Imperial Intelligence, sat in the seat nearest their mother. 

 _Maybe this will get interesting after all_ , Ben thought.  He didn’t recall ever seeing her at anything as boring as a trade negotiation before.  Then again, he hadn’t paid attention when his mother was outlining the discussion, so anything was possible.

Crueya Vandron, head of COMPNOR and one of Leia’s staunchest opponents, sauntered in just as the meeting was about to be called to order, and took his seat next to Mara Jade.  Two kids dressed in pretentious, gaudy outfits followed behind him and took up residence a few seats away from Ben and Anakin.  Ben could sense their curiosity and didn't need to turn his head to know that they were staring.

*Hey,* Ben telepathically reached out to his twin, *Who are those two chucklefracks?*

Anakin didn’t even look over in their direction.  *Aleena and Darron Vandron.  Why? No. Never mind.  I don’t want to know.  Now, shut up.  I’m trying to listen, and you should be too.*

He shut Ben out with a slight shake of his head.

Ben frowned.  *Listen, Officer Numbnuts, I’m trying to help.  Isn’t mom trying to get that Vandron _sleemo_ on her good side or something?*

*What? Yes.  Why?*

Ben felt the suspicion behind Anakin’s question.

*Well, why don’t we start with them?*

*Leave me out of this.* Anakin leaned forward to tune Ben out and focus his attention on the matter at hand.

Sighing, Ben scrolled through his datapad until he located one of the many programs Hux had written for him.  He didn’t pretend to know how it worked, but with it he sliced into the local network, created his own secure datastream, and searched for Darron’s tracer ID.  After that, it was a simple matter of sending a message directly to Darron’s screen.  He could even pull up a display of what was on the kid’s viewer. 

Twi’lek porn.  _How original._  

<I see this _kark_ is as boring to you as it is to me. > Ben typed and sent.

The Vandron boy looked up and around the room, his face coloring to match the deep red of the carpet. 

<Don’t look around; you’ll give us away.  It’s Ben.  Over here.>

Darron brought up a note program and typed, <Oh.  Hey.  How are you doing this? Can you see this?>

<Yeah.  You two aren’t from around here, are you.>

<Just in from Senex.  Why?>

<Thought you might like to have a good time while you’re here.>

Darron nudged his sister, who was enraptured by whatever was happening around the conference table.  She gave him the same sort of look Ani gave Ben when he was preoccupied.  Darron pointed to his screen and let her read it.  She looked up and over at Ben, whose masked face was still staring straight ahead, and took the pad from her brother.

<What did you have in mind?> she wrote.

<I know some places.  What did _you_ have in mind? >

She hesitated, but Ben could sense that his bad boy reputation was having an effect.

<We want to go to Beeska.> She named a popular Hutt bar in the upper-mid quadrant.  It was a gimmicky tourist trap for rich people who wanted to feel like they were slumming it down-level.  Ben snorted.  He knew a much better place in the lower quad.  Someplace they were likely to see some real action.

<Beeska is for _beeogola nechaskata_.  I have something better in mind.  How about a _real_ Hutt bar? >

The siblings exchanged glances for only a second before fighting over who got to type, <We’re in.>

Ben grinned under the concealment of his helmet.  _These little_ koochoo _have no idea what they’re getting into.  This’ll be a blast!_   He typed, <Be ready out by the statue of Emperor Palpatine The Beneficent on the South Senate Promenade at 23:30.  I’ll pick you up.>

<Thanks!>

Ben nodded and wiped his screen, folded his arms, and dozed off for the rest of the meeting, his original intention of riling up Hux with dirty texts pushed aside and forgotten in favor of his budding schemes.


	3. Chapter 3

The awe and splendor of flying alongside a Super Star Destroyer had mostly lost its charm on the twins -- commonplace as it was for them -- though Anakin stared out the viewport with a slight smile.  His gaze grew distant as he simultaneously admired the sleek angles of the ship and his destiny aboard it as its commander. 

Ben’s leg bounced with excitement as he sat, fiddling with his helmet in the back of their Lambda-class shuttle.  Months ago, when Ben had expressed his eagerness to start flying real ships instead of simulations, Hux had helped him fit it with an oxygen hook-up and a prototype HUD that would theoretically link to his ship’s readouts and targeting systems.  He liked being able to maintain his look, as Vader had when he flew.  It was so much nicer than having to stuff your face into a musty helmet that had been passed from pilot to pilot probably since the Clone Wars.  Plus, it was important to keep up appearances.  Ben had even gone so far as to design his own, much more flattering, flight suit.  TIE pilots were fearsome to behold, but he was no ordinary pilot.  Hux may have scorned his mask privately, but he respected the power of symbolism.

Even the parade welcome there were afforded upon arrival was dismissed out of hand as Ben struggled to keep his pace even.  The receiving delegation -- Admiral Piett, Alpha Squadron leader Captain Braxton, and two of her pilots, Lt. Wexley and Lt. Dameron -- bowed as they approached.

“Moff Phennir, My Princes,” Piett nodded to each in turn, a brisk, precise move for someone of his advanced age, “Welcome aboard the Executor.  My command is at your disposal.”

“We’ll see to the orbital maneuvers in due time,” Phennir smiled.  “Right now, I trust your pilots are ready to assist my sons in their training?”

“Yes, sir.” Braxton saluted sharply.  “I’ll let Lieutenants Dameron and Wexley brief you on the finer points of their ships.”

“Very well.  Dismissed.”

She saluted and returned to her duties while the moff and the admiral retired to the observation deck.  Wexley escorted Anakin off toward his ship, while Dameron took charge of Ben.

“Hey, buddy! You excited?” Dameron clapped a hand on the younger boy’s shoulder.  Unlike Anakin, Ben didn’t mind Poe’s friendly demeanor.  They had met 2 years ago when Ben’s father had taken an interest in Dameron’s career, and had become good friends.  Phennir had been responsible for his protégé’s placement in Alpha Squadron, and even though Poe was only two years older than Ben, he had already demonstrated that he had the skill to belong there.

“Yeah.  I’ve been thinking about this all morning.  Which one’s mine?” Ben glanced around the racks of TIEs neatly aligned in their docks.

“Oh, man.  Your dad didn’t tell you?” Poe flashed his wide, easy grin, “You’re Alpha Gold today.  You’ve got my ship.”

“What? Are you serious? TIE Advanced? An X2?”

“Yep.  Think you can handle her?”

“All the Hells, yes!”

“Alright, then,” he chuckled, throwing an arm around Ben’s shoulder and leading him off, “Let’s get started.”

The pilots spent a few minutes acquainting each of their princes with the peculiarities of their ships, and explained the basics of the exercise.  The two of them were to face a wing of 4 TIE/LN Starfighters, firing modified data packets that would disrupt their opponents’ ships to simulate realistic damage.  They had 15 minutes in which to destroy or evade their targets.

Alpha Squadron dispersed in order to get into position as the brothers waited anxiously for their countdown.  Ben was as eager to test out his helmet display as he was the TIE itself.  He spent their downtime practicing with it, darting his eyes around the hangar for targets to lock onto.  Tiny sensors in the lining of his visor tracked his eye movements, and any viable target that he focused on for more than a second became locked unless he looked away.  The ship vibrated as the cannons followed his line of sight.  He could also override and fine tune the sighting manually via the fire controls. 

The instant his readout showed 00:00, Ben lurched forward, gliding smoothly (if somewhat more forcefully than he’d intended) out of the hangar bay.  The engines screeched out their characteristic sound.  Though the simulators had prepared him well, he was still surprised by the hum of the barely restrained power of the engines.

After calling in their readiness, they swooped toward their targets.  The four TIE fighters approached in single-line formation.

*Over-under?* Ben asked his brother.

*Bantha Rush.*

*Good call.* Ben throttled forward and drove straight into the line, causing them to break formation.  At the same time, Anakin reached out to the mind of one of the approaching pilots and made it seem as if his fighter had suddenly disappeared.  Ben drifted hard left, never taking his eyes off the lock position on his first target.  He fired and scored a direct hit, his readouts showing one down. 

“That’s one, Brother,” he jeered as Anakin opened fire and missed his target completely, ruining his illusion as well.

Anakin maintained radio silence.  He refused to give in to his brother’s needling attempts to goad him.  By the time he’d swung wide enough to come back at his first target, the second fired upon him and scored a moderate, though not disabling, hit. 

“Spanked!” Ben laughed.  He was already chasing down his second target.  He pulled another drift, strafing both his and one of Anakin’s opponents.  It wasn’t enough to knock either of them out of the fight, but it gave Anakin the advantage he needed to take down his target on his next shot.

They fired at the same time, Anakin taking down his first target, and Ben finishing off his second. With 3 minutes remaining on the counter, Ben started to circle back to help out Anakin, whose ship was showing simulated systems failures across the board.  Deciding Ben was the bigger threat, Anakin’s final target rotated to fire at him.  Ben easily dodged the incoming blasts, but was too off course after dodging to shoot back.  It didn’t matter.  Anakin seized the opportunity and fired off everything he had, taking out the last TIE just under the wire.

“Yes!” Ben shouted, “Nice shot!” 

“Hmm,” was all Anakin said, overly judgmental of his performance, as usual.  Under his mask, Ben was grinning like a fool, pleased that he hadn’t sensed any hesitation or capitulation in his opponents.  They hadn’t let the princes win; they had been caught completely off guard by their skill.  A second battle wouldn’t likely end in victory for the twins, but in war there was only one chance.

It was all Ben could do to keep his cool and not to run toward his father when they landed and hopped out.  Turr Phennir beamed with pride at his sons and clapped them both on the back as they drew near.  “That’s my boys! Well done! Well _fracking_ done!”

Lieutenants Poe and Wexley were also there to congratulate them.  “Great work, kiddos! I sure as hell didn’t expect that!”

“I doubt we would be so lucky on a second run,” Anakin said, side-eying Poe’s hand on his shoulder.

“Nah, that was really great for a first run.  Don’t sell yourself short!”

Wexley took the more conservative route and shook hands with the princes as he congratulated them.  “Pleasure to have you with us today, My Princes.  Feel free to join us for exercises anytime.”

“Oh, they will be!” Turr grinned.  “But right now, you’re about to be late for dinner with your mother.  Our private shuttle will take you back while I finish up my work here.  I'll catch up to you later.  Great work today!”

They arrived home just as Leia was sitting down to dinner in their private dining room.  She smiled up at them when they came in, a tiredness in her eyes that signaled something other than a hard day’s work.  She didn’t reprimand them for their lateness, only gestured for them to join her.

“Welcome back.  How was your first flight?”

Ben started in with the tale of their victory, even before he’d taken his helmet all the way off and handed it off to HK to take back to his room.  Leia’s smile slowly crept into her eyes in genuine happiness at her son’s excitement.  Anakin didn’t mind letting him tell it, provided Ben didn’t slag him off too much.  In fact, he didn’t at all; Ben praised Anakin’s illusion tactic even though it didn’t work out quite as well as he’d hoped.

“And what did you take away from the meeting this afternoon?”

Anakin sipped at his Almakian fruit juice, dabbed the corners of his mouth with his napkin, and took over the conversation like a swoop gliding in for a perfect landing.  “I saw exactly what you meant about Grand Vizier Pestage’s attempts to turn the discussion at every available interval.  I believe you’re right.  He’s definitely up to something.  Intelligence Director Jade noticed it, too, when you spoke about rerouting the shipping lanes around the KDY, and Corellian and Abhean shipyards to allow more space for testing maneuvers.”

“Very astute.  Yes.  I believe there is something about our current production that Pestage wants to keep from me.  Ben, what did you think?”

Ben had been stuffing his face in the hopes of having a few moments longer to think before having to answer any awkward questions about a meeting he hadn’t heard a single word of.  “Well,” he said around a mouthful of Melahnese karra steak.  “I was thinking about that Vandron guy.  He really hates you; well, not as much as he hates Pestage, though.  Anyway, I thought you might like to know that we made friends with his niece and nephew today.  I thought it might be prudent to build bridges through them.  The Old Guard is on the way out.”

“Hmm,” Leia considered, nodding.  “And how does that help?”

“Well, maybe we get to know them, get them to like us, maybe have them over a few times when you’re around.  See that they put in a good word about you to their uncle.  Of course, if they _happen_ to overhear some snippet of conversation that you’d be having when they arrived, that could play to your favor.  You know their uncle would ask about whatever they heard while they were here.”

“That’s an idea worth considering.  Thank you, Ben.”

“Of course, Mother.”  Ben smiled, proud that he’d turned his evasion into something useful.  He gave a covert smirk to Anakin, who rolled his eyes in response.

“Speaking of forging alliances,” Leia said, her tone shifting from contemplative to a darker seriousness as she brought up the sensitive topic, “The two of you are of an age now where we must begin to make considerations for your future, and the future of the Empire which you shall one day inherit.”

Anakin put down his fork and listened attentively, but Ben frowned.  _Today was amazing, why couldn’t she just let this lie?_

“Your father and I have narrowed down a list of possible marriage candidates, and it’s about time we started looking into this more seriously.  Perhaps arranging meetings for you while we’re on Naboo—”

Ben’s temper flared, and he stood up, slamming his napkin down on the table.  “I’m not interested in marriage! How many times do I have to say it?”

Leia did not raise her voice.  She didn’t have to.  “Ben Organa-Phennir, sit down and finish your dinner.”

“No! This isn’t fair! It should be my choice! Being Sith is about being free!”

“You are not Sith yet.”

He growled, unable to think of a comeback to that stinging retort, and stormed off to his room.

“Ben!” Anakin yelled after him.

“It’s fine.  Let him go,” Leia said, sighing.

“I don’t understand him.  It’s not like he can’t— Well, everyone does it.  It doesn’t have to mean anything; it’s just for alliances’ sake.” 

“As protective as he is of our family, you’d think he’d jump at the chance,” Leia shook her head in wonder, “You know him better than I do, Ani; why do you think he resists this idea so much?”

Anakin knew exactly why, and he also knew that he was the only person Ben trusted enough to confide in.  Not only did he not want to betray his brother’s secrets, but he knew that information could have just as much, if not more, of an effect on the other party’s future.  Also, it was really none of his business.  Without missing a beat, he gave the only other reason he could think of that would assuage his mother’s curiosity.  “He thinks he’s going to be some great Sith warrior, like Darth Vader, and that those kinds of attachments would only get in the way of ‘following his passions’ or whatever.  I think he’d rather hole himself up in the Inquisitorius Citadel for the rest of his life than have to deal with people.”

Leia quieted, sounding distant when she said, “Darth Vader was married.  Once.  In secret.”

Anakin raised an eyebrow.  “Oh? Well, I won’t be the one to tell him that.”

Leia chuckled a bit at that.  “Well, in any case, I know you will not fail me in this.”

“I will accept any decision you come to.  My only request, if I may have a say in the matter, is to say that I do have a preference for the Kuati.  I would quite like to have my own Super Star Destroyer someday.”

“I don’t know how your father will feel about that, if he doesn’t get to have one first,” she laughed.  “Well, in any case, you have my word that I will take that into consideration.  Now, it’s getting late and we have a long trip tomorrow.  Make sure your brother is packed and ready before you turn in.”

“Yes, Mother.”

 _See, Brother? This is how you get what you want: with the fruit, not the stun pike_ , Anakin thought as he excused himself and went up to his room.  Across the hall, he could hear Ben thrashing about in what Anakin had termed “the tantrum room” -- a private chamber Ben had added to his own bedroom, where everything inside was coated in lightsaber resistant phrik and songsteel.  Supposedly, he used it for practice, but Anakin knew that it was mostly a place for him to safely vent his flashes of rage.  The sonic dampeners did little to mask this particular outburst.

Anakin glanced at his chrono.  21:45.  Their meeting with the Vandron kids was fast approaching.  After a while, the rampage died down and he could hear the sound of running water.  Anakin decided that they must be going out after all, and got up to get ready for whatever shenanigans his brother had planned.


	4. Chapter 4

Ben stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and determined to enjoy the rest of his evening.  He floated a towel over to dry off and sat down at his desk to make a HoloCall to Hux.   It only beeped once before Armitage slapped it on; he didn’t even turn his attention away from the three datapads he had sprawled in front of him.  Faint strains of Corellian opera faded in and out of the background.

“Hey.  Whatcha doin’?”

“Project.” Hux said, not looking up.

“Wanna go out tonight?”

“Can’t.”

“Tage,” Ben whined, really wanting to see him after all that horrible talk of marriage, “it’s Hexaday.  Come on.  You need a break.  It’ll be fun.”

Hux made a face at the word “fun”, like he was being invited to roll around in salt and vibroblades.  He continued typing, still not looking into the HoloProjector.  “Where are you going, and with whom?”

“Down-level with the Vandron kids, you know… the… girl and… her brother.”

The typing stopped long enough for Hux to sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration.  “Stars, Ben.  You just met them this afternoon, and you’ve already forgotten their names?”

Ben shrugged and hummed a non-committal noise.

Hux resumed typing and ignoring him.  “Aleena and Darron.  Honestly, you of all people ought to keep better track of who’s in power.”

“They’re not in power.  Vandron is just my mother’s lap dog.”

“Everyone is your mother’s lap dog, Ben.  Including _you_.  She rules the galaxy in the name of the Emperor.”

“Yeah, yeah, listen if we’re going to go down that road—”

“No.  I’m not.  I’m just— Ben, I’ve got to finish this before—” Hux stopped, fearing he’d said too much.

Ben felt a tingling in the Force that signaled the thrill of mischief afoot.  “Before someone _catches_ you!”

Hux glared over at him, pressing his lips together and frowning.  “Damn it, Ben—!”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it.  It’s just radiating off you.” Ben leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “So, what are you really up to? Are you slicing school records?”

“No!” he shouted, louder than he’d intended, and looked around to make sure no one had heard. Blushing, he lowered his voice to a harsh whisper, “Of course not! I mean… no.  Not exactly.”  He sighed again, knowing he couldn’t very well keep anything from Ben if he really wanted to know.

“Is this going to be about boring computer stuff?”

“If you must know, I’m re-organizing the Academy’s library filing system, it’s a mess and I—”

“Already asleep.”

“Oh, just go get spiced with the Vandrons or whatever it is you’re going to do.”

“I don’t spice.” Ben said, frowning.

“I know.  I’m sorry.” Hux gave an apologetic glance toward the projector.  “It’s just— I _really_ need to get this finished.”

“Well, I _really_ need to see you.”

“You just saw me this morning.”

“For Sion’s sake, you _know_ what I mean.”

“I already jerked off in the shower to save time.” Hux said, as if it were the most boring fact in the world.

Ben sputtered, “Already— save _time_ —? _Frack_ , Hux, do you even know what sex is for?”

Hux rolled his eyes and started to reach for the off switch. “Goodbye, Ben.”

“Wait! Wait! We’re leaving for Naboo tomorrow.  Will you be over for training in the morning?”

“Yes.”

“And stay for breakfast?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.  Try not to stay up _all_ night, then.  Good night.”

“Good night.”

Ben clicked off his projector and shuffled over to his closet to pick something out for the evening.  He was sulking, and he knew it.  Hux had never allowed himself that much free time to begin with, but once he’d joined the Academy, the most Ben saw of him was their extra morning training sessions together.  He knew that Hux hated working out, but he also knew how hard he was on himself for not having more strength and endurance.  Or rather, how hard his father was on him.  Ben was the only person Hux felt safe training with, knowing that he wouldn’t be ridiculed or judged and that Ben was more than competent when it came to the subject of physical prowess and nutrition.

Having the run of the Palace gym to themselves that early in the morning also allowed for _other_ physical activities to take place on occasion.  Ben smiled at the thought.  _Tomorrow…_

But, for now, he had some off-worlders to impress.


	5. Chapter 5

Sneaking past HK had been easy enough; ditching the Royal Guard, however, had required a little more creativity.

“ _Stang_!” Anakin swore, “You almost hit that patrol droid! Slow down!”

Ben drifted his speeder across 10 lanes of traffic and accelerated in response to his brother’s protests.  Glancing in the rear-viewer he saw that the Vandrons were more thrilled than terrified by the ride. 

“Have you been taking driving lessons from Hux?” the last word of Anakin’s question drew out into a near scream as Ben took a nose-dive at least 20 levels down. 

He whipped the speeder around a few corners, wove through more traffic (some of it on-coming), and jerked to a stop near a taxi stand.  “Everyone out.  Into the taxi.  Quick.”

The Vandrons were both giggling and Anakin was grumbling, but they did as they were told and piled into the backseat of the robo-taxi.  Ben hopped into the front.

“Oh, gracious! Prince Organa! How may I be of serrrrrrrviiiiiiiiiiice…” the droid’s voice fell in pitch as Ben located its deactivation switch and flicked it to the off position.  On the location map, he punched in the coordinates for Vos Gesal Street in the deep underbelly of the Uscru Entertainment District, and overrode the lock out on levels 1000 through 1500.  The taxi sailed out into the night and merged with all the other non-descript taxis ferrying passengers in varying states of inebriation to and from their places of revelry.  No one would find them now.

They descended for over an hour, well past the flashy skyscrapers and domes of the Senate District, down into places lit only by the ubiquitous flash of HoloSigns.  Several times the distinct crack of blaster fire rang out in the perpetual night of the Undercity.  Ben sensed fear and exhilaration battle for dominance in Aleena and Darron’s minds and he grinned beneath the concealment of his mask.

When they arrived at their destination, the pounding beat of tech-core music could be heard all the way out into the street.  Various HoloProjectors scrolled through the night’s podrace schedules and odds.  Ben set the taxi to stand-by and sent it off to make rounds while they went inside.  At the door, Ben waited for the grizzled Gamorrean bouncer to ask for the password, then gleaned it from his mind as soon as he thought about it. 

“Ten to one,” Ben said.

The bouncer nodded and stepped out of their way.

Inside, the smell of spice was stronger than what had wafted out into the street; the heady aroma was thick enough to bring on a low-level contact high within minutes.  Ben didn’t partake, but he knew his way around.  He had tried it once, and the way it had impaired his connection to the Force had put him off further attempts.  Aleena and Darron both seemed itchy to get their hands on some, though, so he discreetly pointed out the various dealers and what they had to offer.

Anakin gave off a slight aura of discomfort but followed after Aleena, who was clearly interested in him.

Ben didn’t need money -- he had all the credits he could ever want at his disposal -- but it was easy, and more fun, to scam it off the bookies running their illegal gambling circle.  He had copped onto their “live” podrace feed racket almost a year ago.  In truth, the circuits were delayed by at least 10 minutes.  He sauntered up to the betting counter and the aging Twi’lek woman behind it immediately pointed to the “all bets off” sign.

“You’ve already been here this month,” she protested.

They had a sort of unspoken agreement: Ben wouldn’t report them, and they would let him “win” at least one big score per visit, provided he didn’t abuse the privilege.  Most of the time the money got funneled right back via the bar anyway.

“Oh, so you’ve fixed that little bug in the HoloVision relay then?”

She shook her head, lekku jiggling behind her.  “Let’s not get greedy, here.”

He pulled off his helmet and let his wavy locks fall into a seductive frame around his face.  “You mean you’d deny this pretty face a good time tonight? Come on, I have guests.  Besides, you’ll get it all back eventually.”

The woman grumbled and slid a slip of paper under the ray-shielded window.  “You’re not _that_ pretty.”

“Hmm,” he smirked, checking the numbers and then quickly scanning her mind to see if she was trying to cheat him. She was not.  “Five-hundred on the Valarian in race two.”

“Tall order.”

“That’s what all the ladies say.”

She snorted and passed him his betting slip then turned back to her bookkeeping. 

Ben settled in to a table next to Darron and set his helmet on the seat beside him.  Darron attempted, poorly, to cast furtive glances at Ben when he thought he wasn’t looking.  He was smitten.  Anakin arrived a few moments later with a spiced-out Aleena and a bottle of Toniray for the table.

Several glasses later, they were all feeling buzzed enough to let their guards down and just enjoy the loud, flashy, and definitely dangerous atmosphere.  Already, three fights had broken out over sabacc, one of which had ended in a disintegration.  Ben couldn’t get enough of it -- the swirl of passion, fear, deviousness, and anticipation titillated his senses.  Anakin charmed Aleena into heading out to the main floor for some dancing while Ben made small talk with Darron, who was even more in awe of him when his race finished big and a payout droid slapped 5 full credit sticks down on the table.

“Drinks on me!” Ben shouted during a lull in the music.  As the cheers rose, so did the level of danger he sensed.  He caught Anakin’s eye from across the room.  He felt it, too.

Ben nonchalantly slid his helmet back on as three Mandalorians entered and cast about the room for their prey.  The server droid floated over and started to set down more drinks, but Ben waved it away toward the Mandos.  “Why don’t you give these to those guys that just came in, they look like they could use a drink.”

The droid beeped something rude but followed his instructions nonetheless.  When it had reached the mid-point between Ben and the bounty hunters, who had just spotted him, Ben said to Darron, “Get down,” and motioned under the table.

 At first, Darron didn’t seem to understand in his drunken haze, grinning like a fool and sliding down to his knees in expectation of something entirely different from violence.  Then he saw Ben’s hand drifting not toward his fasteners, but his lightsaber, and froze.

One of the Mandalorians broke into a run, straight at Ben, shoving the server droid aside.  His blaster was already out as Ben kicked over the table and Force-leapt over the top of it, dodging two shots.  Ben’s blade flashed to life and arced down in one smooth motion, decapitating his attacker before his feet had even touched the ground.  He whirled on the spot and deflected three more bolts, one of which bounced back into another of the Mandos’ chests.  He dropped to the floor in a heap.

Chaos erupted.  Pole dancers screamed.  Patrons overturned tables and dove for cover on the sticky, alcohol soaked floor.  More cunning beings seized the chance to steal back their losses from the upturned card tables. 

Anakin had also ignited his blade and rushed one of the mercenaries, deflecting two blasts before he, too, had killed his target.

The entire battle had lasted less than two minutes, and with no collateral damage as far as bystanders were concerned, but the club was a wreck. 

“ _Frelling_ Jedi!” the one-eyed Twi’lek manager shouted, approaching them.  “Get out! Get the _frack_ out!”

“Here,” Ben said, offering up the rest of the credit sticks he had won.  “This ought to cover the mess.  Of course, if it’s not enough to convince you…” he waved his lightsaber menacingly.

The manager swiped the cred sticks form his hand and stomped off, yelling for someone to clean up the mess and turn the music back on.

Anakin nudged the helmet off of his kill and stared down at him.  He didn’t recognize him.  Ben pulled out his datapad and scanned the faces of their three attackers, while his brother fished out their ID cards and BHG licenses.  Aleena and Darron were still crouched behind their respective tables, staring wide-eyed at the twins.  As far as what Ben had hoped to achieve with winning the two of them over, he was grateful for the action.  The Vandrons were in awe of them.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.  I’m bored,” Ben said and turned to leave.  He didn’t even have to look behind him to know the Vandrons were hot on his trail.


	6. Chapter 6

They had not expected their mother to be waiting for them when they returned, but there she was, sitting in her favorite chair, arms folded and steel-eyed.

“I hope you two enjoyed yourselves.  I could smell the spice coming from down the hall.”

Ben, wisely, kept his mouth shut.  Bailing them out of trouble was Anakin’s specialty.

“It was just a bit of harmless fun, Mother. We didn’t—”

“Harmless? You could have been killed!”

Neither of them said a word as they tried to figure out how she knew what had happened, and so quickly.  They didn’t have to wonder for long.

“Do you know what’s all over the HoloNews right now? The future heirs to the Empire, slumming it up in some down-level filth factory! Yes, someone saw you and uploaded their footage of your little party for the entire HoloNet to see.  I’ve been up for an hour, trying to spin this into the story of your attempted assassinations, rather than the tale of decadence and debauchery it looks like.  An hour! And it’s only going to look worse when we have to leave tomorrow, as though we’re fleeing some kind of scandal! Do you ever consider how your actions affect people other than yourselves?” She directed her gaze at Ben at that last question, knowing full well their adventure into the Underworld had been his idea.

“Sorry,” Ben muttered, eyes downcast and stinging.  _I was only trying to help._

“Apologies, Mother.  We were only trying to help by winning over Vandron’s niece and nephew, which I would say was a great success.  And, we did manage to get the IDs of our would-be assassins.”  Anakin held out the cards.  Leia ripped them from his hands with the Force and flung them away so hard they embedded in the wall.

“Make no mistake; you will be punished once I sort out who was responsible for this.  For now, I want you both to go straight to bed.  And you had best be prepared to leave on time tomorrow afternoon.”

“Yes, Mother,” they both said and slunk up to their rooms like whipped akk dogs. 

“Thanks,” Ben said as he went into his room.

“Mm-hmm,” Anakin grumbled.  “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Ben shrugged off his clothes and got ready for bed.  As he settled in, he noticed his comm panel blinking.  He had 2 missed messages, both from Hux.  _Stang, he’s still up?_ The last one was only a few minutes old, so he decided to call back, even though it was almost 3am. 

“Ben?” In his exhaustion, Hux couldn’t hide the edge of panic in his voice.  His image wavered into view.  Ben smiled at his slightly disheveled hair and the way he rubbed at his tired eyes with the back of his hand.  He had just gotten into bed himself.  “Stars, what happened? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.  It was nothing.  Hey, actually, I was wondering if you could check something out for me?”

“Sure, what is it?” he sat up and started to look more alert.

“Not right now.  Get some sleep.  You have to be over here in two hours.  Training, remember?”

He groaned in response.

“I’ll send the data, but promise me you won’t look at it ‘til tomorrow.  I took bioscans of our attackers.  I need you to trace their IDs, see what turns up.”

“That sounds like something better done now than later.”

“They’re dead.  They’re not going anywhere.  No rush.”

“Alright.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, yeah.  Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Ben shut off the projector and sank into a meditative state that would be more productive to his recovery than actual sleep at this point.  _Besides,_ he thought, _we have a long trip through hyperspace tomorrow and I can catch up then._

Little by little he closed down the sensations surrounding his body and let his mind reach out to the Force, seeking nothing but unity and emptiness.  As he poured himself out into the universe, the universe filled him in return.  Visions of events, dreams, fears, snippets of strangers’ lives swirled around him.  A fleeting image here and there intrigued him, but he had learned to tune it all out, like a spicehead staring at a HoloVid and seeing only oblivion.  There were so many beings on Coruscant that it was the best place to practice distancing himself. 

One nagging thread of anxiety pulled at the back of his mind and eventually unraveled the whole attempt when he realized it was coming from someone familiar.

 _Mother?_   Ben reached out and sensed her presence downstairs.  She was agitated, fearful even.  He had never known his mother to fear anything.

Glancing at the chrono, he saw that it was nearly time to get up anyway.  He pulled on some leggings and a training tank and crept back downstairs.  Leia was still sitting in her chair, but now she was floating a large, faintly glowing, purple crystal above her hand.  Ben had seen it before, some art object on a pedestal, nestled between the various other busts and sculptures that adorned the royal apartments.  She was whispering to it, but he couldn’t make out the words.  A sinister unease began to overtake him as he stood in the doorway, watching and saying nothing.  He hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but he was hesitant to break the reverent spell in which his mother regarded the crystal.

“Ben, come in.” She said without taking her eyes from the precious stone.  After some time, “You know I love you, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he said, his guard going up at the anticipation of another argument.

“I only want the best for you and your brother.  Surely, you understand that.”

He waited a moment before speaking, certain that she would be angry with him for still being up, and not liking where this was going.  He changed the subject.  “I sensed your—” he couldn’t bring himself to say “fear”, though it had definitely been there.  _Mother fears nothing_. “—distress.  Is everything alright?”

She smiled at his heartfelt concern.  “There are going to be changes when we arrive at Naboo.  Big ones.”

At first, he assumed he was still in trouble and that she was making a reference to his punishment, but the distance of her voice indicated something else.  Something deeper.

In two days’ time, they would be on the Peace Star.  The Emperor would be there.

Sudden understanding sent a jolt of excitement through him.  “You’re going to make your move.”

“Whatever happens, I just wanted to be sure you knew.  You and your brother are everything to me.”

“I know.  And…” he swallowed hard as if he were actually gulping down his pride, “I’m sorry for… for being such a _frack-up_.  I want to help.”

“It’s enough that the two of you will be there with me.” She stood and levitated the crystal back onto its pedestal.  “Don’t be late for your training session.”

Ben nodded, heading for the door.  “When it comes time to…” he trailed off.  Ben couldn’t bring himself to whisper actual words of sedition, even in the safety of their own home.  “You know I’ll do anything for you.”

“I know you would, Ben.” She smiled again, tired but content.  “Now hurry along.  Don’t keep your friend waiting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>   
>   
>   
>   
>  In times of peace, the Imperial media refers to the "Death Star" as the more palatable "Peace Star". After all, its sole purpose is keeping the peace. ;)


	7. Chapter 7

By the time Ben arrived at the gym, Hux was already waiting by the door, standing there with perfect posture even though he was undoubtedly tired.  He was still in uniform, with his bag of gym gear slung over one shoulder. 

“You’re late,” he said.

“You’re early.”  Ben swiped his palm over the scanner to let them in and glanced at Hux's perfectly pressed uniform.  “Do you ever take that thing off?”

“Not when I’m making a visit to the Royal Palace.”

“Huh.”  Ben shrugged.  He couldn’t give two _karks_ what people thought about his fashion sense at five in the morning.  “Well, get changed and stow your stuff.  Today we’ll take a warm-up lap around Senate Plaza, hit the free weights, and follow up with some sparring.”

Hux mock-saluted and headed off to the locker room while Ben stretched on the mats.  He came back in form-fitting, black, kinetic leggings and shirt.  Ben smiled appreciatively.  The regulation PT suit was one of higher quality than the ones issued to cadets; it had been a gift from Ben when Hux mentioned that he wanted to get serious about his training.  Hux was on the slim side of athletic, wiry and too thin for someone of his height, which was mostly the reason they trained five days a week.  He was far more flexible than Ben, however, and had the poise and balance of an Alderaanian pittin.

After stretching, they set out for the upper levels, walking at a brisk pace to stay warmed up in the cool, early morning breeze.  The Senate Plaza track was mostly empty at this time of morning, and against the backdrop of the purpled, pre-dawn sky the few lights on in the towering skyscrapers and residences glittered and winked like stars.  They synchronized their chronos and streamed a second timer showing their previous run times before taking off down the wide, curving track.

Hux had a surprising amount of endurance for someone of his constitution, and Ben was constantly amazed that he had little to no trouble keeping up.  He could sense Hux’s exhaustion -- it was something of a constant with him -- but Ben did not slacken his pace.  Instead, he pushed for more.  “Come on.  Pick it up.”

The first lap went well, but by the second Hux’s lack of sleep was beginning to show.  At the quarter mark, he had fallen behind the previous run time by a full 10 seconds.  “Let’s go, Cadet.  You’re not even carrying your gear, and you’re falling behind.”  Ben didn’t feel too bad about pushing him; Hux was desperate to improve and wanted him to be strict.  Still, getting a proper amount of sleep was every bit as important to his progress.  Hux didn’t respond, but he quickened his pace.  “What are you going to do when you have to haul an injured comrade to safety? Let’s go!”

His breath hissing out between clenched teeth, Hux pushed himself for more speed and tried to overtake Ben for the final stretch.  Ben loved feeling Hux’s resolve and his sense of accomplishment when he forced himself to overcome his limits through sheer willpower.  He had a frightening inner strength built on anger, determination, and ambition.  If he had been Force-sensitive, he would have made a fine Sith.

They crossed the finish line and Ben stopped his timer.  Despite their perseverance, Hux had still come in 5.6 seconds slower than his previous time.  Upon hearing this, Hux scowled and said, “Again.”

“Wait, wait.  We still have strength training and sparring to go.  I don’t need you injuring yourself.  You’re exhausted already.”

“I’m fine,” he spat.  “Come on.”

“Tage, stop.  I’m of half a mind to take you back to my room right now and _make_ you sleep.  You can make up the lost time tomorrow.  I expect you to keep practicing even while I’m gone.”

Hux took in a deep breath and let it out in an explosive sigh.  “Fine.”  He swiped his towel and water bottle from the bench and took a swig.  “Let’s go, then.”  He marched off toward the turbolift.

They returned to the gym, whereupon Hux stripped off his shirt and settled in for the bench press.  Ben had convinced him that he needed to see Hux’s muscles in action if he were to properly spot for him.  It was only partially true.  Really, he just wanted to admire Armitage’s lithe form; plus he was far more pliant when he didn’t have the comfort of his uniform to hide behind.

“How’s the shoulder?”  Ben asked, tracing his fingers around the hollow between muscle and bone.  A wild tackle in a high-stakes wedge ball game last month had broken his upper arm and knocked it out of socket.  Though the fracture had healed within a few days under Bacta treatments, there wasn’t much to be done for a dislocated shoulder but rest, and the added stress of the SERE training he had endured just afterwards had aggravated it.

“Fine, I think.  It still hurts once in a while, but it seems ok now.  The doc gave me the all clear.”  Hux allowed Ben to rotate his arm into various positions, testing for any sign of pain.

“Alright, let’s start back a kilo or two and work up to plus point-five.  See how you do.”

Ben watched him, for once less distracted by his carnal desires than the protectiveness he felt at making sure Hux stayed healthy and safe.  He had to be extra wary, because Hux tended to push himself too hard in everything he did.  Reading his mind was out of the question -- though he was often tempted, he respected Armitage’s privacy -- but he could monitor his surface emotions without feeling too intrusive, and almost always did so out of habit.

In spite of his fatigue, Hux made a good amount of progress and seemed minimally satisfied with himself.  Ben figured that was as good as Hux ever felt about himself, so he considered the session a success.  While Hux finished up with a series of crunches, Ben ran through some lightsaber forms and new moves he had learned from Grand Inquisitor Durron.  He could feel Hux watching him.

“Like what you see?”

He didn’t need to look to know that Hux was blushing.

“I was just wondering if you were ever going to teach me how to use one of those.”

“No.”

“Why not? It’s not _just_ Force users that can wield them, right? Seems like it would be useful to know the basics, at least.”

“It’s too dangerous.  Yes, you could use it, but it’s our connection to the Force that helps guide our movements, so we can do the really crazy _kark_ without cutting off our own heads.” Armitage still looked eager to try, and Ben didn’t feel like having an argument so he sighed, “Oh, alright.  Come here, I’ll show you.”

Hux hopped down from the incline bench and hurried over.  Ben turned the saber off and placed the hilt in his hands.  It was heavier than Hux expected.

“Oh.  It looked so light.”

“Well, it is, in a way.  All the weight is there.  The blade itself weighs nothing -- it’s just energy -- which is where it gets tricky.  You have to _know_ where the blade is at all times, even though you can’t feel it.  Here,” Ben moved to stand behind him, put his hands over Hux’s to guide him into a proper stance, and clicked it on. 

The _snap-hiss_ of the energy lancing out startled him, but he relaxed into the position Ben wanted him in and held the blade out in front of him.  The hum of the power source vibrated through the hilt and tickled his palms, much like the more familiar feel of a stun pike.  Ben moved Hux’s arms up and down again, imitating an overhead strike.  Hux understood, then, what he meant: when the blade was above his head and out of view he had no sense of what space it was actually occupying.  How Ben could flip around and twirl his lightsaber without dismembering himself, Hux couldn’t fathom.  The risks he took adding his own little flourishes to his fighting style were all the more impressive now.

“What’s it like when you hit something with it?”

“Stay right there and I’ll show you.”

Hux did as instructed, though he waved the sword from side to side to get a feel for the balance.

Ben came back with a practice blade and stood across from him.  “Just hold it out in front like that.  Don’t move.  I’ll come at you.  Just keep a good grip on it.  Remember, you won’t feel the hit in the hilt.”

He took a light swing, and as the blades clashed, the sensation of something making contact with nothing disoriented Hux.  “Huh.  I don’t know how you ever learn to get used to this.  Can I try?”

“Sure.  Same as what I just did.  You can go a bit harder if you want.”

Hux pulled his blade back, sure to keep his eyes on it at all times, and brought it across to meet Ben’s.  Again, feeling resistance at a point farther away than expected jarred his senses, like a physical manifestation of an optical illusion.  Even a soft hit threw him off balance.

“Ok.  How do I turn it off?”

Ben laughed and came around to show him the power switch.  “Just click that.  Hold it down for a bit.”

When the energy shot toward him, retracting into the hilt, Hux nearly dropped it.  “ _Frack_!  That’s… terrifying.”

“Well, now you know the basics.  Satisfied?” Ben chuckled.

“Yes.  Thank you.” Hux couldn’t hand the hilt back fast enough.  “I think I’ll just stick to knives and pikes and blasters.”

“Good call.  Speaking of which…” Ben retrieved two stun pikes and tossed one to Hux.  “We’ve only got about 20 minutes left, so let’s have a go.”

They spent some time going over new moves, Ben sharing what he’d learned from the Inquisitors and Hux sharing what he’d learned at the Academy.  The benefits of their mutual learning showed in their improved skills.  They went at each other full tilt, spinning, leaping, dodging, countering and striking with all their might.  Hux fought dirty when he was forced into hand-to-hand combat, as though driven by some outside force to make up for his lack of physical prowess, and Ben wasn’t entirely sure he was aware of it.  One of Hux’s blows went wider than Ben expected, and his retort accidentally jabbed straight into Hux’s collarbone.  Though they had set the pikes to the lowest setting, such a direct hit still jolted Hux with a shock powerful enough to send him sprawling to the mat. 

Just as Ben went to apologize and offer his hand, Hux snarled and leapt at him, swinging with the ferocity of a cornered animal.  He spun his pike directly at Ben’s head, and when he awkwardly raised his own staff to defend, Hux swept his legs out from under him, dropping him hard to the ground.  Hux stood over him, panting, his pike buzzing centimeters from Ben’s neck.

“ _Frack_ , Hux! What in the Hells?”

Ben’s voice seemed to bring Hux’s vision back into focus, as though he had been seeing something far away.  Hux blinked and clicked off his pike, tossing it aside as though it had burned him.  “Ben, I— I’m sorry.  I—” Almost forgetting his manners, he held out a hand to help his friend up.

“It’s alright.” Ben pulled himself up with Hux’s help and tried to look him in the eye.  “Are you ok?”

“Yes, I’m...” he exhaled and turned aside as Ben reached out to touch his face.  “Sorry about that.  I don’t know what got into me.”

It was a lie, and they both knew it.  Feeling that shock had sent Hux straight back to Arkanis.  He was 11 years old, forced into fighting in the ring with the much older kids at his father’s Academy.  Lacking the strength (or the will) to do much more than defend himself, his father had been furious.  He’d jumped into the ring himself, snatched the pike from the cadet’s hands and thrusted it at Hux until the pain drove him to abandon his pacifist nature and fight back.  He hadn’t managed to land any blows against his father, but _stars_ had he wanted to more than anything in that moment.

Ben didn’t know exactly what was going through Hux’s mind, but he could sense the shame and bitterness he was wrestling with.  “Hey,” Ben put a hand on his shoulder, slowly, so as not to startle him, “I’m sorry.  I meant to pull that jab.  It was my fault.  Are you sure you’re alright?”

Hux took a deep breath and shrugged him off, retrieving his stun pike.  “I’m fine.”

Ben smiled, trying to lighten the mood.  “Well, you sure got me good.  That’ll teach me to underestimate you.”

Hux only frowned and seemed even more hurt.  “Do you? Underestimate me?”

“I— no.  That’s not what I meant.  I just… didn’t expect you to come back at me like that.  That was vicious, man.”

“Oh.” Hux stood there, lost in uncertainty for a moment. 

“Hey,” Ben said, getting his attention as he leaned in to kiss him.

Hux tensed, but surrendered to the kiss, letting the heat of his anger fire his passion instead.  He wanted more, but as the morning wore on others were more likely to walk in on them.  Pulling away he panted, “Wait… not here.”

Ben floated their staves back to the weapon stand as Hux took his hand and pulled him back toward the locker room.  Grinning like a fool, Ben was glad Hux couldn’t see his expression.  Usually, it was Ben who initiated their lovemaking.  He cherished these rare moments when Hux took charge. 

Hux was in such a hurry that he yanked them both into the shower still clothed.  Ben pressed him to the wall as the warm water cascaded around them, sucking and biting at Hux’s neck while his hands traced the rough ridges of scars on his back and the smoothness of his chest at the same time.  Hux clawed at Ben’s broad back, trying to pull him even closer.  “Please,” he whispered, the puff of breath hot and needy on Ben’s ear.

Ben laughed into Hux’s skin as he continued his trail of kisses and playful bites downward, flicking his tongue over one hard nipple before sinking lower.  “Please, what?”

Hux groaned and flushed red.  “Please…” He pushed his hips forward and Ben could feel his hardness against his chest as he sank to his knees.  “Please, fuck me.”

“Not yet.”

Ben pulled Hux’s leggings off with agonizing slowness, savoring the sight of his straining erection.  He placed a circle of soft kisses on his abs, his thighs, that thin sinew of muscle that ran from his hips to his crotch, careful not to touch his cock until Hux looked down at him, pleading with his turquoise eyes, carding his fingers through Ben’s hair and bucking against him in frustration. 

“You want it bad, don’t you?” Ben smirked.

Hux _hated_ losing control over himself, but he needed so desperately to forget everything but this moment right now.  The blush of embarrassment and desire deepened.  He let go of Ben’s wet tresses and covered his face with his small, pale hands, trying to hide his shame.  “Damn it, Ben, just—”

Hux yelped and clapped a hand over his mouth as Ben engulfed him fully, working his tongue all the way down to the base of his shaft.  He pulled up, letting his lips pulse with the feel of every throbbing vein before lavishing attention on the head of his cock, tasting the salty drops of precum that beaded there.  A moan of protest accompanied the interval between Ben stopping long enough to wet a finger and slip it inside him, and continuing to lap at him hungrily.

Ben loved making Armitage feel this way: loved seeing that stern exterior crumble under his touch, loved the small, muffled noises that escaped him as he tried to cling to a discipline that was rapidly unravelling.  With his free hand, he shoved his own pants down and stroked himself in time with the rhythm of his sucking and fingering.

Needing a better angle, Ben let go of himself and raised Hux’s leg to hook over his shoulder. 

“Ben… stop… I’ll fall!” Hux panted between his fingers.

Ben ignored his protests, concentrating on finding just the right spot -- that small, firm knot inside him that made Hux gasp when he found it.  He didn’t even have to stop licking up and down to reach out with his mind and reassure him, *How many times do I have to tell you? I will never let you fall.*

Overcome with sensations of warmth and fullness as Ben’s finger circled and pressed on his prostate, Hux’s legs trembled and nearly gave out.  His skin felt electrified in the sweltering shower; every drop of water and fiery trail left by Ben’s tongue was too much to take.  Hux collapsed with a loud cry as the orgasm spread through every particle of his being, not in waves as it usually did, but drawn out and increasing in potency, unceasing.  The release of the pressure that had built up deep inside of him was more forceful than any he’d experienced before. 

Seeing (and _feeling_ ) the utter bliss that radiated outward from Hux, Ben came hard and fast.  He barely maintained his hold on Hux through the Force -- floating him so that he wouldn’t fall -- and drank in as much as he could before Hux started pushing weakly against his broad shoulders. 

“Stop… Ah! Ben… Stop!” he gasped, “Please… I can’t… Ah!”

Ben leaned back, smiling and licking cum from his lips even as more fountained out of Hux’s twitching cock.  He lowered Hux to the floor where he rested against the wall, quaking, every muscle in his body spasming over and over again.  Ben reached out to steady him, but stopped when he gasped, “Don’t touch me… Don’t touch me… Oh, _frack_! Ben, what… what _was_ that? What did you…?”

Ben giggled as he rinsed his hands off.  “Haven’t you ever done that to yourself?”

Hux allowed himself to slide down until he was lying on the floor, still shivering and reeling from the intensity of his orgasm.  Several minutes passed before he could regain his breath enough to speak through the haze of pleasure.  He felt as though he could fall asleep for days, right there, public shower or not.

“No.  I tried once, but… my fingers aren’t really long enough.”

“Well,” Ben chuckled, holding his hands up, “glad I could help.”  He sat back against the opposite wall and watched Armitage lie there, breathing quietly, a rare smile of pure contentment curling his lips.  He wanted to remember it forever.

“Still want me to fuck you?”

“ _Stars_ , no.  I think I might have a seizure if you touch me again right now.”

Ben laughed again.  “Well, I’m afraid we’re going to _have_ to get properly showered, or we’re gonna be late.”

 _Late_.  Hux’s eyes snapped open as if that were the magic incantation to summon him from the netherworlds of ecstasy.  Tension visibly flooded back into him, and Ben was sorry he’d said anything.  He held out his hand to help him up and they both hurriedly stripped the rest of the way and showered off, sharing the occasional bout of laughter when Ben had to catch him and hold him because his legs gave out again. 

“You absolute beast,” Hux smiled, “How dare you do this to me and then go off and leave me all alone for a week.”

“I just wanted you to miss me.”

“Well,” he huffed, trying to be irritated but finding it impossible in his current state, “mission accomplished.”

Ben kissed his neck again before pulling away to float some towels over to them.

Hux had his uniform to change into, but Ben had to make do with wringing the water out of his clothes and pressing them between towels to get the moisture out.   He hoped no one would notice.  He didn’t even think about his lightsaber, which had been hanging from his belt the whole time. 

On the way back to the Royal Apartments, Hux stumbled slightly, still feeling a bit weak in the knees.  Ben caught him and they shared another furtive smile before straightening up and putting on their best serious faces.


	8. Chapter 8

In the breakfast room, Leia and Turr were already seated, and Anakin had just arrived.  Hux bowed and greeted them both formally, while Ben dashed upstairs to change.  “Lady Organa, Moff Phennir, I’m honored to have been invited into your home.  Please forgive the intrusion.”

Leia returned his gesture with a polite nod.  “Welcome, Hux.”

“Grab a chair, son.  No need to be so formal.” Turr waved off the peasantries, “How many times have you been here already?”

“All the same, thank you, sir, My Lady.” 

Hux sat next to Anakin and thanked the Twi’lek server as she filled his tea cup.

“Sorry to take your friends away during Rest Week,” the moff said, “but we have some family business on Naboo that needs tending.  I trust you’ll stay busy as usual at the Academy, nonetheless?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Ani tells me you bested him in the tactical challenge last month, is that right?”

“Well, to be honest, sir, Anakin would have had me if he’d not done the honorable thing and assisted me against the Rebel fleet.”

Leia sipped her tea and listened with interest.

Ben wandered back in and stood in the doorway listening, not wanting to interrupt.  Anakin saw Ben’s lightsaber dripping as he entered and raised an eyebrow at him.  Hoping no one else noticed, Ben hurried over to his seat instead.

“Oh? Do tell,” Turr set his caf down and leaned in. 

Anakin shrugged.  “I thought it wiser to rid the Empire of its true enemies before engaging in some internal struggle.  That’s all.”

“Still, you had me pinned.  It was no small thing to pass up that chance,” Hux turned to address Leia and the moff.  “My forces were crippled and outnumbered due to my previous bout with Cadet Hegan.  The Rebels appeared just after Anakin made his hyperspace jump.  They had a stolen Interdictor, which caused several of Anakin’s ships to collide on reversion.  I didn’t wait to see how much damage had been done: he still had the greater numbers and there was really only one thing to be done anyway.  If I were going to die, I’d rather it be fighting _for_ the Empire than against it.  I turned my forces around to engage the Rebels, and just had to hope that Anakin felt the same way.  Luckily for me, he did.”

“Huh,” Ben said, raising an eyebrow at his brother.

Anakin rolled his eyes.  Ben was always trying to prove that he had feelings, somewhere inside.  Anakin found it pointless and tiring.

“So how did you manage to defeat him?”

“I had sent a recovery team to infiltrate the Interdictor at the beginning of the battle, and by the time we resumed fighting I had gained control of it.  Anakin had continued driving straight into the Rebel forces in order to avoid more collisions, and by the time he turned around to come back at me, I activated the Interdictor’s gravity trap and stalled them.  It was enough of a distraction for me to gain the advantage, even though he took out a large chunk of my forces while I was waiting for that chance.”

“Well done,” Turr nodded.  “Ani, you didn’t think to capture the Interdictor?”

“I didn’t think I would need to.”

“Hmm,” Leia said.  “Now that you’ve experienced this outcome, would you be so eager to aid him in the future?”

“Aid a fellow Imperial against the Rebels? I would.  Absolutely.  But, I’d be a lot more careful about it.”

“Hmm,” she said again and went back to eating, watching the three of them.

Hux laughed.  “It was luck, really.  I thought I was dead for sure when they popped up.”

“Doesn’t sound like luck to me,” Ben chimed in, irritated at Hux’s tendency to sell himself short.  “It sounds like you had a solid plan and you stuck with it and it paid off.  No one ever won big playing it safe.”

“Very true, son,” Turr said.  “It was a risky plan, but it panned out.  I wouldn’t discount it as luck.”

“Thank you, sir,” Hux said, a bit embarrassed by the praise.

“I like you, Hux,” the moff continued.  “You know your shit, but you don’t lord it over people.  If you knew half the self-absorbed, stuck up captains and admirals I served under…” he shuddered at the memory.  “Well, some of them are still serving, so I’d best not say anything, but you get the idea.  Just keep your eye on the goal, and don’t condescend to the people under you, and you’ll go far in the eyes of your command.”

“Yes, sir.”

They finished up the meal with various small talk, and Ben tried to not be too obvious about admiring Armitage as he and Anakin talked excitedly about some boring diplomatic function they would be attending in a few weeks.

“I hate to interrupt,” Leia stood and the servants scurried about to clear away the table, “but we’ll need to be on our way within the hour.  It was a pleasure seeing you again, Hux.”

Hux hurried to stand as well, and bowed.  “Thank you, My Lady, Moff Phennir, the pleasure is all mine.”

Ben rolled his eyes, “Huuuuuuuux.  Lay off already.”

Hux frowned at him, as did his mother.  “Ben, you could learn a thing or two from your friend.  Don’t embarrass him for being sincere and polite.”

Knowing Lady Organa believed in his candor and didn’t think he was just being obsequious, Hux felt a bit better.  He stood at attention until she left, though he still felt like his legs were going to give out.

“Show off,” Ben teased.

“I am _not_ showing off.  I happen to have a great deal of respect for your mother and father.”

“I’m just kidding! Relax. _Stang._ ”  Ben turned to call up the stairs after Leia, “Mother, do I have time to fly Hux back to the Academy? I’ll take my speeder.”

“Are you packed and ready to go?”

“Yes.  I packed last night.”

“Alright then.  Do _not_ be late.”

"I won't," he sighed and turned to Hux, grinning, “I figured you might, uh… be too tired to walk back.” Ben grinned.

After their father had left the room, Anakin looked back at Ben’s lightsaber, which he’d surreptitiously dried off with his napkin under the table.  “Do I want to know why your lightsaber was wet?”

Hux’s cheeks went as red as his hair.

“Probably not,” Ben smirked.  “We may have had, uh, a bit of a shower malfunction.”

“Ben!” Hux hissed.

“Nope.  No.  I don’t want to know,” Anakin waved goodbye and headed off to gather his things.

“Why would you even joke about that in front of him?”  Hux grumbled as they made their way to the landing pad.

“Relax, Tage.  He knows.”

“He… what? Ben!”

“He’s my brother, Tage.  We tell each other everything.  Well, not _everything_.  But, well, you know.  He’s not dumb.  He figured it out.”

“Do your parents know?” Hux looked horrified at the thought.

“No.  I don’t think so.  Ani said he wouldn’t tell anyone.  He doesn’t want to get you in trouble at the Academy.  You worry too much.”

Hux frowned and stowed his bag in the side compartment.  He pulled on a helmet and took his seat behind Ben on the speeder, wrapping his arms around his waist as they took off into the cool morning breeze.  Tense, lost in thought, Hux didn't lean in as close as he usually did.

“Oh, don’t be mad.  I’m not gonna see you for a week.  Don’t leave it like this.”

“I’m not mad… it’s just… I don’t like people having an advantage over me.” Hux didn’t think Anakin would lower himself to blackmail him, or worse, but his mind always had to work through all the possible ramifications of a situation, and the fact that the possibility existed _at all_ made him uncomfortable.  He could be expelled if anyone found out.

“Yeah.  Sorry.”

Hux didn’t say anything, but he leaned over and placed a kiss on Ben’s shoulder, resting his chin there so he could watch Ben speed past other riders. 

A certain anxiety built up within him the closer they got to the Academy.  He couldn’t pinpoint what was causing it – just a general feeling of unease.  Like the ridiculous thought that he might not ever see Ben again.  It wasn’t helped by the fact that they couldn’t say a proper goodbye once they arrived at the landing pad; there were too many cadets milling about, headed out for the day or just returning from a wild night out.  The best Hux could do was to bow deeply and grip his arm in a formal handshake.  “Thank you, My Prince.  Clear skies and safe travels to you and your family.”

He thought he felt Ben’s smile under his mask.  “Stay safe, Tage.”

Hux bowed again and watched until Ben disappeared into a cloud of traffic.


	9. Chapter 9

As the _Executor_ plowed ahead through hyperspace, Ben and Anakin observed the goings on of the bridge crew.  Anakin had far more interest in it than Ben, although Ben was curious about the kinds of things Hux would be doing some day.  He wondered why it was so important to him: this strict, hierarchical discipline.  The thought of following orders in such an unforgiving, formal environment made Ben shudder.  He preferred the freedom of the Sith.

An emergency transmission chimed and was put through, echoing throughout the bridge.  "This is Captain Samsa of the Imperial Freighter _Dark Reach_ , we are under attack by privateers.  Request assistance. Repeat:..."

The comm officer looked to the captain, who in turn looked to Leia.  "Lady Organa, as we are the nearest ship to the distress call, protocol demands that we lend our assistance."

"Boys?"

"Of course we should help, they're Imperial citizens," Ben said, "Plus, can you imagine the looks on the pirates' faces when a Super Star Destroyer drops out on top of them?"

"That is standard military procedure; Imperial shipments must be protected," Anakin added.

"Very well," Leia smiled, "Captain Antilles, let us render assistance promptly."

Anticipating the dogfight to come, Ben sidled up to his father and whispered, "Father... Can we? Please?"

"I'll take the boys down to the observation deck, so they can watch the firefight," Turr announced.

Leia nodded in his direction and continued her conversation with the captain.

Phennir ushered the twins into the turbolifts, but they didn't stop on the observation deck.  When it opened they were just outside the hangar bay, where a rack of TIE fighters were being rolled out for deployment.

"Oh, I guess we went down too many levels.  Whoops.” Their father shrugged. “Well, since we’re here anyway…” He gestured toward the TIE fighters.

Ben and Anakin grinned at their father and rushed out to join the pilots lining up to report for deployment.  Luckily, Gray Squadron had two openings: Ben was assigned the Gray-11 call-sign, and Anakin, Gray-12.  They yanked on some flight suits and sprinted to their assigned TIEs.  These were not the Advanced models, but the controls were familiar enough they wouldn't have a problem adjusting.

They shot out of the hangar bay and sounded off when called to check in.  Both of the twins were nervous and ecstatic at the same time.  This was their first live-fire exercise -- against real enemies, no less.  As they zoomed toward their prey -- fifteen Z-95 Headhunters, the clunkiest starfighters in the galaxy -- they got their first taste of what it was like to be shot at in a battle.

It seemed to take Anakin slightly longer to adjust, but Ben's heart was still racing as he streaked toward the fighter that just fired on his brother. _They're actually trying to kill us!_ He realized how silly a thought that was even as it entered his mind, but the acceptance of it had to come sooner or later. He felt the fear seep into his veins and focused on it to enhance his reflexes. *Don’t worry. I've got him, Ani.*

*Get your own.*

Ben scored a direct hit, blasting the pirate into the next world.  He sailed through the debris, dodging the larger chunks, and fired off two more volleys at his next target, obliterating it as well.  He felt their deaths, and the split second of terror and pain that preceded their ends, through the Force.  The surge of fear and agony fueled his power, and Ben let it course through him, shivering in delight.  These weren’t his first kills, but the feeling was still somewhat new.

*Two-nothing, Bro,* he teased, trying to keep up appearances. He wasn't really feeling it. He could have lost his brother forever, over a stupid pirate. The thought made his stomach drop.

Anakin fired three shots past him, and at first Ben thought he was just jerking around, but the lasers connected with another Headhunter that had snuck in from behind.

*You were saying?*

*Hah! Nice shot!*

Ben split away to hunt down one last straggler, taking her out in a burst of flame just as the rest of the Z-95s either met their fates at the hands of the squadron, or fled the encroaching _Executor_.  The open transmission from the captain of the _Dark Reach_ played over their comm channels, "This is Captain Samsa to Imperial forces: we thank you for your assistance. If you don't mind sticking around for about 15 minutes, we should have our engines repaired and will be underway once more. Again, my thanks. Clear skies."

A surge of elation electrified Ben's senses.  Everything suddenly felt more vibrant, more alive. _We won! We did it!_

"Copy that," Leia's voice came over the comm channel, "We'll wait until you're underway to continue onward."

"Lady Organa! My sincerest apologies for delaying you."

"All in a day's work. Get your ship repaired, Captain, and be sure to log these lanes with Central Control as piracy prone."

"Yes, My Lady. It will be done."

Ben and Anakin returned and docked, hurrying out to thank their father, who was pacing around the hangar bay.  Forgetting himself, Ben ran up and hugged him. "That was incredible! Thanks, Dad!"

Anakin approached and bowed, showing off his ability to keep control over what few emotions he felt, "That was, indeed, a valuable experience.  Thank you."

"Three-to-one! Suck it, Ani!" Ben poked him in the chest.

Anakin rolled his eyes.

Turr grinned, proud of both his boys, though slightly more so of Ben in that moment, and hauled Anakin in for a hug too.  Anakin reciprocated, awkwardly.  "Alright, now get back to your quarters and out of those flight suits before your mother finds out.  Don't forget about the welcoming ceremony."

"Yes, Father."

"Yes, sir."

The twins got back to their rooms, showered, and changed into their formal wear.  Ben chose one of his latest designs, one that had won recognition for him in the Carnival Week Fashion Walk last month.  It was a sleek, hooded jacket, cut in sharp, imposing angles that complemented one of his half-masks.  A finely gilded, one-shoulder, asymmetrical capelet completed the ensemble. Anakin put on his dress blacks, as usual.

An hour later a Lambda-class shuttle ferried them over to the Peace Star.  The ramp descended to reveal legions of Stormtroopers, naval troopers, gunners, pilots, officers, a full complement of the royal guard, and various dignitaries and beings of import all standing at attention and either saluting or bowing as the royal family strolled past. Even the astromechs were lined up in formation.  Mas Amedda, Emperor Palpatine's closest advisor, stood in robes of ruby and gold, ready to greet them.  Everything gleamed, from the deepest black of the deck plates to the white armor of the troopers, polished to perfection.  An orchestra struck up the Imperial Anthem, followed by House Organa's Royal Alderaanian Anthem.

It was all very impressive, but the boys had been through this countless times and remained unfazed. Ben found himself missing Armitage already. Having never been aboard the Peace Star before, he would have loved to have seen all this. Ben smiled to himself imagining Hux trying to keep up his usual mask of indifference whilst taking it all in.

_That's ok, someday the two of us will have a welcome to rival this._

They took the turbolifts directly to the Emperor's throne room, where Amedda announced them and then disappeared into the shadows, as was his habit.  Leia approached first, taking to one knee before her master, followed by Moff Phennir and the twins. A pair of royal guards followed behind with a small crate and set it beside Leia.

"Rise, and welcome," Palpatine stood, with the aid of a cane, and slowly made his way down the steps of the dais to get a better look at them. "My, how your sons have grown.  They've become quite the strapping young men, haven't they? And I sense the Force has grown stronger in them these past few years."

The twins remained silent, but nodded in deference.

He turned to Leia. "And I see you've brought me a present, as well.  An artifact of some power.  Yes."

Leia inclined her head. "As you say, Master."

"Forgive me, boys, we will have to catch up on your studies later; your mother and I have much to discuss." Palpatine waved a wizened hand, "Leave us."

Everyone, including the guards, started toward the turbolifts.  Ben sensed his mother's anxiety rising.

*Mother?*

*It's alright, son. Go with your father.*

Fighting the urge to stay and protect his mother, Ben stepped into the turbolift.  He watched after her, tapping his leg in agitation as the doors slid shut and they began their descent.

Their father was already going on about the various starships and real-world exercises they would get to experience now that they were once again "home" on the Peace Star.  Normally, Ben would have been rapt with attention, but the farther they sunk into the interior levels, the larger and more twisted the knot of fear in his stomach grew.  Anakin, true to his nature, didn't seem to notice or care; he was nodding along and listening to every word Moff Phennir was saying.

Just as they exited the lifts, Ben felt the spike of mortal terror that told him Leia had made her move.  Amedda, unaware of what transpired above, approached and engaged Turr in conversation about some political matter that required his immediate attention.

*Ani, we have to do something!* Ben mentally shouted, slapping the buttons to recall the turbolift.

*No. We don't.*

Ben whipped around, shock evident. *What?*

*If she can't handle it on her own, she's not fit to be Sith.*

*You _fracking_ — it's Mother!*

Anakin remained stone-faced and unmoved.

As their father walked away, oblivious to his sons' mental battle, Ben turned back to the panel and slammed it again.

"Stop."

Ben felt Anakin exerting his influence through the Force, like a pressure that closed around his mind and body, forbidding him to move.  * _Frack_ you!* Ben pushed back with his own considerable power and broke his brother's hold over him. *Fine! So you don't give a _kark_ about her! Then what about yourself? What do you think will happen to us if she dies?* The doors finally opened, and Ben leapt in, turning to look at his brother. *Well? Coming?*

Anakin frowned in disapproval, but got back in to follow Ben.  He still wasn't motivated to help, but if his idiot brother was going to go do something stupid, he figured he'd better at least be there to diffuse the situation.  Or turn it to his advantage.

By the time the doors reopened on the throne room and Ben jumped out, lightsaber blazing, the fight was already over.


	10. Chapter 10

Leia sat, slumped in the throne, floating the same glowing crystal Ben had seen her looking at last night in their home on Coruscant.  For the first time, Ben noticed how old she looked.  Emperor Palpatine was nowhere to be seen, but his lightsaber lie atop his black robes, crumpled and empty on the deck.

Ben rushed to his mother's side.  "Are you alright? What happened? I still sense—"

"Our beloved Emperor always wanted one of these.  I don't think he quite expected me to gift it to him in such a manner." She smiled tiredly.  "At the end of our fight, when I struck him down, he tried to possess me, but the crystal absorbed his soul instead. For a moment I thought he might overcome me, but... It's over now." She pressed a button on the panel on the throne’s armrest and called to the guards, "Get me a direct line to Coruscant, immediately."

As the guards set up a HoloProjector, Ben turned to one, motioning toward Palpatine's robes, "Take those to my quarters."  The guard bowed and did as instructed without a word.

Ben regarded the crystal with apprehension as his mother straightened up and spoke.

"Ardus Kaine, esteemed members of the Imperial Ruling Council, I have called to inform you of the Emperor's passing and of my ascension to the throne.  From now on, you will answer to me."

Kaine, head of the IRC, smiled a wide, toothy grin. "If that is so, then My Lady will be so kind as to speak the password?"

Leia's famed ability to conceal her thoughts and feelings failed her the instant she realized what a dire mistake she'd made.  Paplatine had intended to possess her all along, and must have made arrangements with the treacherous Kaine in advance.  Ben, sensing his mother’s confusion, immediately tried to read Kaine's thoughts, but the transmission was cut within seconds of Leia's silence. 

"Shut down all incoming transmissions. Now! No more ships dock or depart. Lock this place down!" she commanded.

"Boys, I need your help," she turned to them, flustered but regaining control with every passing second. "We need to discover who is on our side and rout out traitors before this turns into the war I fear is inevitable."

"Yes, Mother," both answered.

Leia sent out a station-wide, audio transmission: "Attention, all hands: This is Empress Leia Organa.  Emperor Palpatine is dead.  I have assumed the throne as his rightful, and only, heir.  The Peace Star, and the Empire itself, are now under my command.  If there are any who disagree, you have one hour to report to the nearest shuttle bays for immediate departure."

The transmission ended, and Leia began summoning the station's top commanders and persons of note.  To her sons, she said, "There will be some who will see that for the trap it is.  I need you two to wander the corridors and help me ferret out spies and traitors.  Sense their feelings and thoughts.  Find out who stands against us.  I'll take care of the rest.  We have a few days, at most, before the fleets arrive if this situation degenerates.” She waved each of them over and kissed them on the forehead. “Go.  And be careful." 

"Yes, Mother." They bowed and hastened down the tower to the station proper.  Ben, glad to be able to help, and ecstatic over his mother's victory, threw himself into the task.


End file.
